Last Call
by delusionaldamsel
Summary: When Caroline is in trouble she finds an unexpected savior.
1. Chapter 1

Alaric pushed the door to the Grill open with little force as he entered the bar, dragging his feet as he walked. It was like any other Tuesday night, the Grill was almost completely empty, soft music playing in the background of bottles clanking together behind the bar or on tables as the bus boys cleared the empty glasses away. Alaric had come to the bar looking for a place that wasn't empty like his apartment. He needed to be alone while he graded this week's History tests, but like any normal human being he craved being around other people. He was tired of spending nights alone in his apartment, the only sound there coming from the hum of the refrigerator in the kitchen.

Ever since he had lost Jenna just four months ago, Alaric had shut himself off from the world. The only human contact he seemed to have these days was from Damon and he only came around when Alaric was drowning his sorrows in another bottle of scotch. So tonight Alaric decided to come to the Grill if just to surround himself by people around town and give the illusion he was becoming less of a loner.

Alaric sat himself in a booth a few tables away from a giggling group of older women trading gossip around town. This definitely wasn't what he had in mind when he thought of getting back into the world, but he had to start somewhere. Alaric pulled the stack of papers from his worn leather bag and gently set them down on the table as he looked around the room for a waitress.

_Hopefully Damon isn't keeping her busy. _Alaric thought to himself as he smiled to himself and shook his head.

Before Alaric could find the red pen in his bag he heard a familiar giggle from across the room. He looked up to find Caroline Forbes, one of his students and known (to him at least) vampire. Caroline sat at the bar, her head propped up against her hand, as she continued to flirt with the man behind the bar. Alaric shoved his papers back into his bag and made his way across the bar. This was the first time he had seen the friendly blonde girl alone, she was always with a crowd, and something told him this wasn't a good sign.

Once Alaric made his way to the bar he took a seat next to Caroline, waiting for her to turn to him. When she finally felt his presence Caroline turned big blue eyes up to Alaric and smiled.

"Hey Mr. Saltzman." Caroline slurred as she continued to grin up at him.

Alaric cringed as he took in the girl's appearance. She reeked of alcohol and he now noticed her blue eyes were glazed over, an effect of inebriation. Before Alaric could say anything the man behind the counter slid Caroline another drink and placed a piece of paper in front of it. Caroline smiled at him sweetly before slowly turning her attention to the drink in front of her. Just as she was about to wrap her slender fingers around the glass Alaric reached over and took it.

"Hey!" Caroline protested as she watched her history teacher take a drink from her glass.

Alaric sat the glass down before turning back to Caroline, his lips now set in a deep frown.

"I'm not just going to sit here and watch you drink underage." Alaric said matter-o-factly.

"You're not my dad." Caroline snapped as she frowned at the counter top.

"No, but I am your history teacher and as an adult in your life I'm here to stop you from making major mistakes."

"Well aren't you right out of an after school special." Caroline mumbled to herself.

Alaric stopped the man behind the bar as he was about to pass him. "Hey buddy, if you want to keep your job try serving people who are actually legally able to drink here instead of the minors with the fake I.D.'s."

The man looked at Caroline then back at Alaric and apologized before running into the back to hide from Mr. Saltzman. When Alaric turned his attention back to Caroline he found her gaping at him, obviously angry.

"Why would you do that?!" Caroline shrieked. "Seriously Ric, it's not your job to baby me."

"Well where is your mother, maybe she can baby you when I tell her what you're up to."

Caroline snatched the drink in front of Alaric, consumed the last of it, cringed, then broke out into a humorless smile as she scowled at the counter top.

"When you find her, let me know." Caroline scoffed.

Alaric stared at Caroline, watching as she continued to glare. It was so odd seeing Caroline like this, whenever he saw her she always had a smile on her face. No matter what the situation Caroline seemed to always be bright about everything. She comforted everyone, and reassured everyone that everything would be okay. Seeing her now, so angry and broken, Alaric didn't know how to react.

"Come on Caroline, I'm taking you home." Alaric said as he got up from his bar stool.

Caroline scoffed as she reached across the bar and retrieved the bottle in front of her. She poured herself another glass and began to drink the contents of her glass, ignoring Ric. As soon as Caroline placed her drink on the counter Alaric wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her from the bar stool. Caroline let out a shriek as she was hoisted into the air and over Alaric's shoulder.

"You can't do this! Put me down!" Caroline shouted, her words slurring together as she spoke.

"If you're going to act like a child, I'll treat you like one." Alaric mumbled as he made his way out of the grill. "Don't worry, I'm just going to take her home!"

The women who were just gossiping now stared as Alaric continued to carry a screaming Caroline out of the Grill. He simply ignored the stares and pushed his way out of the door. Yes, he could have just let it go, allowed Caroline to sit there and drink herself silly until the sun came up, but watching her drown her sorrows in alcohol stirred something inside him and he couldn't just sit there and watch.

Alaric unlocked his door and held it open for Caroline to walk through. When he found out Caroline's mother wasn't at home he refused to leave her there, fearing she would just find another way to continue drinking. Once they were inside Alaric motioned for Caroline to take a seat on the couch as he made his way into the kitchen to make her a cup of coffee. Caroline plopped down on the couch, now less annoyed and more embarrassed she had acted like such a child in front of not only the people of Mystic Falls but Mr. Saltzman. From the many save Elena missions they had been on together Caroline knew Alaric wasn't oblivious to how she normally acted, but she had never thrown a temper tantrum in front of her history teacher before.

In a matter of minutes Alaric returned with a warm cup of coffee and placed it on the coffee table in front of Caroline before taking a seat next to her. Caroline smiled weakly before taking the cup in her hands and pressing it against her lips. She was appreciative of the warm cup of coffee she now held in her hands, feeling a little less fuzzy as she took of sip of the warm liquid in the cup. Alaric silently watched as Caroline drank half of the coffee, her smile growing larger after every sip she took. After a few more sips Caroline placed the cup on the table and turned to Alaric, a slight blush now filling her cream colored cheeks.

"I'm sorry for the way I acted earlier, I was just having a bad night." Caroline explained, obviously trying to keep eye contact with Alaric as she spoke.

Alaric returned the smile as he shook his head. "What's going on Caroline? Drowning your problems with alcohol isn't going to solve anything."

Caroline laughed as she raised one of her eyebrows. "Coming from the guy who frequents the Grill with Damon to drown his problems in alcohol."

Alaric frowned at Caroline's last statement. Caroline smiled awkwardly.

"Sorry, that was uncalled for. It's just…I love Elena, she's my best friend, but I get so tired of everyone dropping everything to always save Elena. I think if I was ever in half the trouble Elena gets herself in no one would come save me and I'd just be screwed."

Alaric watched as Caroline spoke, running her finger over the top of the coffee cup sitting on the table. She refused to look at him as she spoke, somewhat ashamed of her insecurities, but still dying to share them with someone. As Alaric watched her he fought the urge to push the hair out of her face and wrap his arms around her. Even with the smile pasted across her lips, he could hear the pain in the words she spoke. She was all alone, just like him, and for the first time he saw Caroline in a new light. Alaric had always seen Caroline as this girl connected to other people. Caroline, Elena's friend, or Caroline, Matt's (ex)girlfriend, or Caroline, Stefan's project, but until now he never saw Caroline, simply Caroline.

When Caroline turned to him, now frowning, Alaric realized he had zoned out and missed what she had just said. Caroline rolled her eyes and pushed herself off the couch. Before she could get very far her legs gave way and she fell, right into Alaric's lap. Alaric instinctively wrapped his arms around Caroline's waist, making sure she didn't fall onto the floor, and held her there for a moment. Caroline turned and their eyes locked as she stared into Alaric's eyes, completely mesmerized.

"I promise if anything happened to you Caroline, I would save you." Alaric whispered, unaware of what he was saying.

Caroline nodded, her mouth slightly open as she just continued to stare at Alaric's face. Her body felt heavy as she sat there immobile, taking in ragged breaths as she stayed motionless in Alaric's lap. Neither of them moved a muscle continuing to stare at each other, unsure what to do next. Caroline slowly inched closer to Alaric, taking her time to let him stop her. When she realized he wasn't going to protest, Caroline took a deep breath before closing her eyes. Alaric entangled his fingers into Caroline's soft golden waves as he watched Caroline's face inch closer to his. Just as he was about to close his eyes he heard the front door to his apartment hit the back wall. In a flash Caroline climbed out of Alaric's lap and sat herself down in the empty space on the couch while Alaric shot up and stood awkwardly in front of the couch. They both turned to see Damon walk in, his hand stilled wrapped around the door knob and a mischievous grin across his lips.

"Am I interrupting something?" Damon questioned, looking amused by the scene in front of him.

Caroline shook her head vigorously while Alaric cleared his throat.

"Ever heard of this invention called the doorbell, dick?" Alaric mumbled.

"Well aren't we cranky today. Vampire Barbie talk you to death or something?"

"Um, hello, I'm sitting right here!" Caroline snapped, her voice thick with annoyance.

Damon shrugged, obviously uninterested. "What's blondie doing here anyways."

"I picked her up from the Grill, caught her drinking with a fake I.D." Alaric explained, feeling the need to cover his whereabouts.

Damon raised an eyebrow at Alaric. "Well why don't we send the delinquent home and head back to the grill. Stefan is being all self-righteous again and I need a drink without the life lesson."

Before Alaric could say anything Caroline pushed herself off the couch and crossed the room to the door.

"I was just about to leave. Thanks again Ric for your help." Caroline called as she rushed out of the apartment.

Caroline shot Damon a dirty look before slamming the door behind her. Damon rolled his eyes before looking back at Ric. Alaric stood there looking at the door, a look of disappointment now visible on his face. Damon watched Ric curiously, now more interested in what he had just walked into.

Alaric shot Damon a dirty look before he made his way across the room. "No talking, let's just go."


	2. Chapter 2

Alaric sat behind his desk staring blankly at the stack of papers in front of him. After Damon left his apartment last night, Alaric glanced at the tests he had to grade, shook his head, and headed to bed. Now as he sat there suffering from a raging hang over, he regretted not getting the papers done the night before. Alaric threw the pen in his hand on the stack of papers and sighed as he leaned back in his chair. Just then he heard a familiar little girl giggle just a few feet away. Alaric turned the chair around to find Caroline leaning in the door frame watching Alaric with an amused expression on his face. Alaric shot up and stared at the girl with wide eyes. He had been thinking about how things would go once he saw Caroline again all day, and now he was face to face with the girl he had been thinking about. Caroline tried her best to hide her smile as she walked over to Alaric's desk and placing a to-go cup of coffee on the wooden surface. Alaric looked at the paper cup confused.

"I figured once Damon was done with you you'd need a pick me up." Caroline said, her voice a little more eager than usual.

Alaric looked up at Caroline and smiled. It was as if she read his mind, he desperately needed coffee, and he was on the verge of crashing just as she had appeared with the thing he needed. As soon as the thought popped into his head, he wasn't sure if he was referring to the coffee or the person who brought it. Alaric shook his head, trying to remove the thought from his subconscious. Caroline frowned as she watched Alaric confused. As soon as Alaric realized he still had an audience he turned an apologetic smile up to Caroline.

"Sorry, you were right, I was almost as drunk as you were last night." Ric explained as he picked up the coffee and took a sip.

Caroline's cheeks filled with a blush. "I wasn't that bad, cut me some slack!"

Ric shot Caroline an amused smirk. "I would if I hadn't caught you drinking illegally. When you start drinking at 21 and get trashed maybe then I'll cut you some slack, but until then I'm holding this against you."

Caroline bit her lip as she tried to hide her smile. The second he said the words, dirty thoughts filled her head.

"Anyways, I'm gonna go, I just wanted to give you that and say thanks for last night." Caroline said as she twirled her hair around her finger nervously.

"Wait, speaking of last night-" Alaric pulled a pad of paper out of his desk, scribbled something across it, then handed the piece of paper to Caroline. "I'll be looking forward to seeing you."

Caroline's heart raced as she held the paper in her hands. Her cheeks filled with a blush as she clung to the piece of paper and nodded frantically, completely speechless. Her stomach turned into knots as she turned on her heels and out of the room as fast as she could, worrying she was about to do something embarrassing. Once she was in the hallway she looked down at the piece of paper for the first time. When she saw what was on it, she frowned and turned back, stomping back into Alaric's classroom.

"Ric, this is a detention slip." Caroline mumbled as she marched up to his desk.

Alaric smiled and nodded. "Your actions have consequences and if your mother can't punish you then I guess it's my job to teach you a lesson."

"God, I'd rather you just spank me, it'd be less embarrassing." Caroline mumbled.

"What was that?" Alaric asked, only catching part of what she had said.

Caroline straightened and shook her head, now embarrassed by her sudden outburst. "Nothing!"

Alaric nodded and turned back to his paper work. "I'll see you after class Caroline."

Caroline turned on her heels, now in a sour mood. "Oh, I can't wait."

Caroline sat behind a desk, her chin in her hands, as she stared at Alaric who was actively ignoring her. It was driving her insane seeing how easy it was for Ric to ignore her. She had decided she was going to pretend she didn't remember what happened last night but she remembered everything. Her skin ran hot every time she thought about the kiss they almost shared. It was so hard watching Ric sit there chewing his pen and not imagining her bottom lip was between his teeth instead.

Caroline had hoped that she was having the same effect on Alaric that he was having on her, but so far it seemed she was the only person changed by last night. Ric had actively ignored Caroline since he had given her the detention. Today in class when Caroline tried to participate in class, Ric refused to call on her. When Elena started whispering to her in the middle of Ric's lecture he simply ignored them and continued speaking. Any other day he would have called them out on interrupting his class, but today it was as if everything Caroline did was invisible to him.

Caroline sighed as she continued having inappropriate thoughts about her History teacher. She could still remember the feel of Ric's large, firm hands on her hips from last night, holding her body against his. Caroline was suddenly startled out of her day dream by a familiar face peeking around the door frame. Once Elena saw Alaric sitting behind his desk she approached the desk then stopped, spotting Caroline.

"Caroline? What are you doing here?" Elena said, sounding some-what amused.

"Ric gave me detention." Caroline mumbled as she glared at Alaric.

Alaric smiled down at his desk before turning his attention to Elena. "What can I do for you Elena?"

Elena's smile disappeared as she turned her attention back to Alaric. "Look Ric, Jeremy and I miss you. Its weird not having you around and we want you to come back. Please Ric, move back in with us, we need you."

Alaric frowned as he thought about what Elena was saying. He had left the Gilbert house after over-staying his welcome on their couch after Jenna had died. All he did was wander around the house like an awkward guest and occasionally spending his nights drinking his pain away. He hadn't thought he was much help to the Gilbert children, he was nothing close to a role model. He felt as if her were more a burden than a help but seeing Elena here now, begging him to come back made him rethink things. They had no one else, they were orphans and having a crappy guardian was better than not having one at all.

Alaric sighed. "If it's really what you want, I'll move back in."

Elena grinned as she nodded enthusiastically. "Yes Ric, this is really what we want."

"Then I'll bring my stuff over after I leave here."

Elena nodded before turning her attention back to Caroline. "Celebratory dinner tonight, you wanna come over?"

Alaric tensed as he watched Caroline closely, willing her to say no. It was easy for him to ignore the rush he felt around Caroline when they were at school, his job reminded him this was all wrong, but the two of them at Elena's house for dinner? That sounded like a disaster waiting to happen.

Caroline grinned and nodded. "I'll be there."

Elena smiled as she turned around and left the classroom. Once Elena was gone Caroline turned back to Ric, a sweet smile now across her lips. While Alaric was dreading this dinner tonight, Caroline saw this as an opportunity to show Ric she isn't just some silly little girl in his history class anymore.


End file.
